Kit Harington: ‘I Actually Did Punch Him in the Face, Twice, by Accident’

Kit Harington (Jon Snow), Sophie Turner (Sansa Stark) and Iwan Rheon (Ramsay Bolton) discuss ‘Battle of the Bastards’ in this featurette. You can watch the above video or read the below provided transcript:

Harington: Jon’s fault this year is he doesn’t listen to Sansa.

Turner: She’s probably had the worst time of any character on this show and the fact that she’s been Ramsay’s prisoner for god knows how long.. and yet they won’t listen to her maybe because she’s just seen as that young little incompetent sister that he’d always had but she knows how the game works now.

Harington: It’s because every time he tries to, she doesn’t give him a real answer. Yes you know him. What’s your solution? She says ‘I don’t know but you should be doing this.’

Turner: She wants what he wants and he’s formed this plan and on paper it sounds great but they just don’t have the numbers.

Rheon: Always wanted to do a scene with Jon Snow. In so many ways, they are so similar but the antithesis of each other. So it’s really nice to get to sort of have the two bastards there together.

Harington: Ramsay’s weapon or way through is antagonizing me, drawing them into a trap. He’s like a tunnel web spider or something and Jon completely falls for it.

Rheon: Jon has kind of thought that this guy is going to do something stupid because he is not able to control himself. So, I shoot his brother with an arrow. But he’s waited until the perfect opportunity- Jon Snow is within archers’ range, which will then make his army run forward and then bring them all into this perfect position where they can all just be slaughtered.

Harington: Jon isn’t a great leader in that battle. He can galvanize people to follow him but he loses his temper and control.

Rheon: I like the way that he’s left as a Napoleon-esque figure on the mountain with his generals, watching it all unfold.

Harington: Never really seen Jon give up on anyone or anything and that was the difference in this battle. And the difference for me after coming back to life was what if he just stopped. What if the fatigue gets to him? And when the crush starts happening and he just slows down and he’s lying on the ground and it’s that thing of finding peace for a moment.. ‘I could just stay here let it all end’ and then something drives him to fight out and at that moment where he comes up and grasps for breath.. reborn again which I found really reflective of the moment when Daenerys was being held at the end of season 3.

Rheon: It was actually a very good plan I thought. We even had a plan for the giant Wun-Wun.. one with massive long pikes to poke him down. Unfortunately the riders came in and ruined the party for Ramsay.

Turner: I think for her emotionally it’s a big thing because this is the first time she’s actually been able to step up and do the day work herself.

Rheon: It’s a funny thing and it’s something we discussed a lot of how Ramsay feels and doesn’t think he’s lost. He thinks that he’s in Winterfell so he’s okay. We were talking the idea of Hitler in his bunker in his last few days and how you start losing the side of actual reality because you have gone too far into it. Even when Jon Snow is beating the sh*t out of him, he’s smiling and he’s going on ‘this is great’.

Harington: I actually did punch Iwan in the face, twice, by accident, which he took really well. He was really nice about it. I had to buy him a pint after that one.

Rheon: That was good. Jaw hurt a bit the next day, but, you know, it’s understandable.

Harington: It’s a horrible moment when you see your hero got a bit too far and the audience should feel ‘yes yes, Ramsay’s getting what he deserves. He’s still getting what he deserves. Okay stop! Could you stop now?’ You go from hating the person that’s being punched and then something should slightly turn into ‘Oh this is my hero becoming a monster.’

Turner: It’s amazing. It’s Sansa’s first kill (laughs) and it’s such a strong moment for her because all her life she’s been affected by these men who have just done such terrible things to her and she’s always carried it with her and this is the first moment you actually hear her say- ‘Your words will disappear. Your house will disappear. Your name will disappear. All memory of you will disappear.’

Rheon: I did ask for dragon related death but it’s fine.. dog’s alright. But in terms of story, it’s really wonderful way to end, so Sansa has the power.